The Eleventh ARGYLL BIRD REPORT with Systematic List for the year 1994 . Edited by J.C.A. Craik Assisted by T. ap Rheinallt Systematic List by T. ap Rheinallt Cover picture by L. J. Craik Published by the Argyll Bird Club (Recognised by the Inland Revenue as a charity) October 1995 (Copyright, Argyll Bird Club) 1 Argyll Bird Club The Argyll Bird Club was formed in 1985 and aims to play an active role in the promotion of ornithology and conservation in Argyll, in the District of Argyll and Bute, and in Strathclyde Region. The club has steadily built up its membership to the present level of around 170. One day-long meeting is held in the spring and another in the autumn. These include talks, scientific papers and field trips. Conferences on selected topics are also organised ociasionaliy. In 1986,the club held its first conference, a successful meeting between foresters and bird conservationists. This was followed, in 1987, by a memorable two-day conference in Oban on fish farming and the environment. The club has close contacts with other conservation groups, both locally and nationally, including the British Trust for Ornithology, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Scottish Ornithologists’Club and the Scottish Wildlife Trust. The club promotes a greater interest in birds by participation in various recording schemes. Members receive four newsletters a year as well as the annual Argyll Bird Report. The report is distributed free to all members (one per family membership) and is the major publication of the club. Much of the annual subscription is used to pay for the report and newsletters. Corporate membership of the club is also available to hotels, companies and other bodies wishing to support bird conservation in Argyll. If you would like to join the Argyll Bird Club, please write to the Membership Secretary for details (page 3). Subscriptions start on January 1 and include the newsletters and Argyll Bird Report published during the year. Back copies of most earlier reports are available from Nigel Scriven (address page 3). 2 Argyll Bird Club - Officials and Committee 1994195 Chairman: R.A. Broad, 6 Birch Road, Killearn, 'Glasgow G63 9SQ. Secretary: Dr J.A. McCulloch, Camus Beag, Lochgair, Lochgilphead PA31 8SD. Treasurer: Fiona Mutch, 3 Dhu Loch, Shore Road, Kilmun, Dunoon PA23 8SB. Membership Secretary: Dr J.A. McCulloch (address above). Committee: Dr T. ap Rheinallt, R.A. Broad, R.A. Clarke, Dr J.C.A. Craik, H. Embleton, D.C.Jardine, M. Madders, Dr J.A. McCulloch, E Mutch, Dr S.J. Petty, M. Sampson, N.J. Scriven. Argyll Bird Records Committee : Dr T. ap Rheinallt, R.A. Broad, D.C. Jardine, Dr A.R. Jennings, Dr M.A. Ogilvie. Editor of Argyll Bird Report: Dr J.C.A. Craik, Scottish Association for Marine Science, P.O. Box 3, Oban PA34 4AD. Editor of Newsletter (The Eider): R.A. Clarke, Inverlussa Hobse, Achnamara, Lochgilphead PA3 1 8PT. Other useful addresses . S.O.C. Recorder for Argyll: Dr T. ap Rheinallt, 19 Shore Street, Port Wemyss, Isle of Islay PA47 7ST. Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) Organiser for Argyll: Dr M.A. Ogilvie, Glencairn, Bruichladdich, Isle of Islay PA49 7UN. B.T.O. Representatives for Argyll: North Argyll including Mull, Coll'and Tiree: M. Madders, Camduncan, Gruinart, Bridgend, Isle of Islay PA44 7PS. Islay, Jura and Colonsay: Dr M.A. Ogilvie (address above). R.S.P.B. Conservation Officer in North Strathclyde: R.A. Broad (address above). Further copies of this report can be obtained from: N.J. Scriven, Ardentinny Centre, Dunoon, Argyll PA23 8TR. Price 24 including postage. Most previous annual reports of the Club are also available at the same price. 3 Contents Editorial J.C.A. Craik 5 Systematic List for 1994 Tristart ap Rheiriallt 6 Little Ringed Plover on Islay, 16 May 1983 - the sole Argyll record J.C.B. Shiites arid T. up Rlieinallt 92 Productivity of divers nesting on artificial rafts in Argyll David Merrie 95 Birds recorded in the area around Ledaig Point, near Oban, in the years 1982-1994 A.R. Jeririirigs 98 4 Editorial I~ The year 1994 was a good one for ornithology in Argyll. Several productive and worthwhile programmes of work deserve mention here: for example, the complete ' survey by the RSPB of breeding birds on the large area of the Rhinns of Islay, and the repeat survey by SNH of breeding waders on the proposed Special Protection Areal ' proposed RAMSAR site on Tiree. These projects underscore the need by conservation bodies for basic, quantitative, up-to-date information. However, perhaps the most . imaginative and successful project is the continuing Corncrake Initiative in the Inner Hebrides, in which payments are made to crofters and farmers to manage their land in a way that stops the killing by agricultural machinery of broods of young Corncrakes. The disastrous, near terminal decline of this unfortunate species appears to have been halted and reversed, in one tiny part of its former range, and at one minute to midnight. Congratulations qedue to the RSPB and the crofters concerned for this superb co-operative work. Most of this report is based on the contributions of single individuals-, as is made clear from the long list on p. 6. Many thanks to all of them, but perhaps special thanks are due to Tristan ap Rheinallt and Eddie Maguire for hundreds of hours of seawatching at their remote outposts, and to David Merrie for decades of work on the Diver Raft Project (see his article on p. 95). This report also documents the satisfactory rate of return of the Osprey to Argyll. In 1994 a record three pairs bred successfully and reared eight young, while good numbers of non-breeders promise well for the future. As usual, the Systematic List forms by far the largest part of this report. We all owe a great debt to the County Recorder, Tristan ap Rheinallt, for his painstaking and detailed work throughout the year in compiling this List. Tristan draws attention to four areas of Argyll - Gigha, Jura, Lismore and North Argyll - from which he receives comparatively few records. Please would residents and visitors to these areas make special efforts to remedy this; I know Tristan will be delighted to receive records of even the commonest species. See p. 8 of the Systematic List for instructions on how to submit reports. Many thanks also to all the other contributors to this issue of the Argyll Bird Report and to Harlequin Press for their courtesy, efficiency and attention to detail. If you have an idea for an article in the next issue, please hesitate no longer! Contributions are welcome. J. C. A. Craik Editor of Argyll Bird Report October 1995 5 Argyll Bird Report (1995) 11: 6-91 Systematic list for 1994 nistan ap Rheinallt 19 Shore Street, Port Wemyss, Isle of Islay, Argyll PA47 7ST INTRODUCTION As last year, several compilers have contributed to the systematic list. They are Roger Broad (raptors and breeding Schedule 1 species), David Jardine (passerines), Mike Madders (Hen Harrier) and Malcolm Ogilvie (wildfowl). I have dealt with waders, seabirds, and all remaining species, and have also edited the systematic list as a whole. Any errors are therefore entirely my responsibility. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am indebted to all contributors who submitted records for this report. A full list of contributors appears below; apologies will be due to any observer whose name has been inadvertently omitted. Comprehensive reports or extensive sets of observations for specific areas were made available by Jackie Bradfield (Mull), John and Pamela Clarke (Colonsay), Gwen Evans (Tiree), John Halliday (Taynish NNR and Moine Mhor NNR), David and Janet Jardine (Colonsay), Eddie Maguire (Machrihanish area), Malcolm Ogilvie (Islay), Mike Peacock and Andy Knight (Loch Gruinart RSPB reserve and Islay WeBS counts), and Gordon Scott (Oban area). I am indebted to Roger Broad, Clive Craik, David Jardine, Eddie Maguire and Malcolm Ogilvie for commenting on a draft version of the text. CONTRIBUTORS IN 1994 D Anderson, G Anderson, T ap Rheinallt, Argyll Raptor Study Group, M Askew, P Atherton, P F Atherton, M J Bagley, S Banks, D Batty, P Batty, Birdline Scotland, J Blackburn, J Blatcher, V Blaxter, M Bleaney, I Bousted, J Bradfield, N P Bray, S Breasley, S Brennan, R A Broad, D Brown, M Brown, N Brown, Nigel Brown, K Butterworth, J Cairnduff, C Cameron, A Campbell, P Campbell, W Campbell, S Carmichael, B Carrins, P Cashman, C Challen, J Chalmers, J Clarke, P M Clarke, R A Clarke, E Clarkson, A Colling, C Conder, J Conder, R J Cook, Cowal Natural History Society, R Craig, J C A Craik, L Crossan, P Currie, D A Study Tours, S Dailly, ADavenhill, D FDavidson, H Davidson, Mrs Davidson, M Davison, J Dawson, Mr Dawson, M de Klee, E Dishon, I Draper, S Eaves, J Eccles, S Eccles, W M Edgar, D Edwards, H Embleton, B Emms, AEvans, D Evans, G Evans, R J Evans, W Farrelly, C J Fergusson, Fife Bird Club, M Finn, Forest Enterprise, Forestry Authority, P A Fraser, A French, J Gardner, S Gibson, D Gilbert, J Gilbert, Mr Gladwin, T Godson, P Gooding, R Gooding, T Goodwin, E A Graham, E Grandjean, M J Gregory, D C Grindrod, J M Grindrod, R Gulliver, B Halliday, J Halliday, J Hampshire, P Hampson, 6 Map showing the areas of Argyll used in this Report 7 SYSTEMATIC LIST 1994 M Harding, N Harding, F Harmer, J M Harrison, G Herrieven, C Heyworth, P Hirsch, A Hogg, J Hogg, R Holz, D Hopkins, W Hubbard, L Hughes, D Hunt, D C Jardine, E A Jardine, J Jardine, AR Jennings, AA Johnson, C M Johnson, R Johnston, T Johnston, A M Kahane, P Kenyon, A C Knight, J Kyle, S Laing, R Leishman, D Lewis, R Lilley, C Little, Loch Gruinart RSPB Reserve